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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26374351">For you, I will follow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woaaah/pseuds/Woaaah'>Woaaah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Crown [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon a Time (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, the crown au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:46:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26374351</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woaaah/pseuds/Woaaah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“I love my husband the same as you love Emma. But they’ll never understand the burden we bear. The Crown is sacred and our responsibility.” Snow smiled, “Your father knew that better than anyone.”</i> </p><p>  <i>“Oh?”</i></p><p> <i>“When I found myself in a similar position I wrote to him and I didn’t tell him what was going on. You see I was worried about balancing being my personal life with my new duties. And did you know what he did? He wrote back that, ‘While you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else. Snow. For she has now been replaced by another person, Mary Margaret I. The two will frequently be in conflict with one another. The fact is, the crown must win.</i></p><p>  <i>"Must always win." </i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Crown [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/915273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For you, I will follow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys. Sorry for the looonnnnggg delay. The past few years have been really hectic and I kinda lost my desire to write. However I am back now and while I can't promise frequent updates all the time, I am still writing this series. I hope you guys enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.”<br/>― <span class="authorOrTitle">James A. Baldwin</span></p><p>
  <strong>5 Years Post Wedding</strong>
</p><p>“And so then all of the holders of Dukedoms, Earldoms, etc, will come forward to kneel and recite their vows...”</p><p>“With the exception of the Duchess of Storybrooke.”</p><p>Snow’s smile fell, “I’m sorry?”</p><p>“The Duchess has refused to kneel, stating that, and I quote, “the only time I kneel for my wife-”</p><p>Regina cut in, “That’s enough Sydney, don’t you have something else to attend to?”</p><p>“Of course ma’am." Shutting his notebook with a satisfying snap, the Private Secretary bowed, "Your Majesties.”</p><p>As neither of them would be allowed to attend the coronation, Mary Margaret and David had flown in a few weeks early to help with last minute preparation.</p><p>And dote upon their grandson.</p><p>“So as I was saying after the various nobles come forward-” Regina stopped as Snow held up a hand.</p><p>“She’s refusing to kneel?” </p><p>Regina stood from her seat at the head of the table, walking over to the bar cart. Her voice was tight, back straight, “Not refusing per se. And anyway, we’ve agreed and I’m fine with it-”</p><p>“Well I’m not.” Snow snapped, cheeks becoming rosy.</p><p>“Well luckily you don’t have to be Snow. It’s my coronation.” </p><p>“It’s not just your coronation Regina, this is about your reign. And you need to set the right tone.”</p><p>“What tone would that be Snow? That I’m so high strung and full of myself that not even my wife is immune from it, that I somehow see myself as better than her? I know you and everybody else may not believe it but I married your daughter because I love her, and more importantly because I trust her more than anyone in this world. She is my equal, the other half of my soul." Regina threw back the entirety of her drink.</p><p>“How can I ask her to kneel before me in front of millions of people?”</p><p>“The same way I asked David to. With the expectations of a nation on my shoulders and the weight of a crown on my head.</p><p>“I love my husband the same as you love Emma. But they’ll never understand the burden we bear. The Crown is sacred and our responsibility.” Snow smiled sadly, “Your father knew that better than anyone.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>Snow stood, walking over to join Regina by the cart. They both turned to look out the window, staring into the courtyard where Emma and David ran around with Henry between them.</p><p>“When I found myself in a similar position I wrote to him and I didn’t tell him what was going on. You see I was worried about balancing my personal life with my new duties." Snow let out a deep breath, "And did you know what he did? He wrote back that, ‘While you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else. Snow. For she has now been replaced by another person, Mary Margaret I. The two will frequently be in conflict with one another. The fact is, the crown must win.</p><p>"The Crown must <em>always</em> win."</p><p>“And then he called David, and I don’t quite know what was said, but come the next day, David proclaimed that it would be an honor to kneel before me.”</p><p>“Well, I doubt I have a way with words like my father once had, and unfortunately he’s not here to impart any of that wisdom upon Emma.”</p><p>“That’s true, but I know someone who can.”</p><hr/><p>The note the maid handed her was simple. No subject, one line, one word.</p><p>‘burgers’</p><p>Her father was a simple man. But even this was laughable.</p><p>“Dear?”</p><p>Emma blinked, looking up at her mother, “Hm?”</p><p>“Regina just asked if you’ll be joining us for lunch honey?”</p><p>Although Regina was sending her a not so subtly sharp across the various fabrics and materials, Emma simply grinned and shook her head, “Sorry mom, I’ve already made plans with dad.”</p><hr/><p>“So how’s the coronation coming?”</p><p>Despite the appetizing food in front of her, her stomach sunk, “Okay I guess.”</p><p>“Mmm.” David nodded.</p><p>They both began to dig into their burgers, the silence hanging between them seemed to be louder with the burger shop cleared of other customers.</p><p>“It’s not easy.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Following.”</p><p>“When I pictured myself marrying your mom I imagined us always being together, being by her side, supporting her. But that's not always the case. I have to follow sometimes, through doors, up stairs, into meetings. I follow, as close as I can but still a step behind.”</p><p>Emma sat down her half eaten burger. Swallowing the lump in her throat. “And what's so hard about that?"</p><p>“That’s the easy part. Going through the motions is easy. It’s the dismissal that’s hard. Knowing that as much as the people love you, no matter the titles, the awards, the patronages, they’ll always love her more. That no matter the truth, anything that goes wrong or didn’t even happen will be your fault. And what you need may always be eclipsed by what she wants.</p><p>“Can you handle that?”</p><p>Eyebrows raised sharply, “I already do.”</p><p>“No you don’t. Right now you still have the fresh glow around you from Henry, from giving birth to this country’s next King. But that will fade with time. Starting the moment that crown touches Regina’s head.”</p><p>“Well what choice do I have. After Zelena, and, and her dad, I can’t <em>leave</em>! The monarchy here isn’t like the, the," Emma scoffed, arms moving jerkily, "fairytale you and mom have, it’s ruthless.”</p><p>David leaned in, “Do you want to?”</p><p>“Do I want to what?”</p><p>“Leave.”</p><p>Emma looked away, mouth twisted in anger, “It doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“Yes it does.”</p><p>“No, it doesn’t. It really doesn’t.”</p><p>“Emma-”</p><p>“Does it get any better?” she asked softly.</p><p>“With time." David slowly reached out, setting his hand on top of her closed fist, squeezing gently, "You’ll learn to make the most of it. To enjoy the sights and trips, all the perks really.”</p><p>“Mmm.”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Emma turned back to look at him, unshed tears sitting in her eyes.</p><p>“I never thought you two would be in this position. That one day Regina would be Queen, or else- well I would’ve had this talk with you before the wedding.”</p><p>“Yea well, I wouldn’t have listened. I loved her too much.”</p><p>“Loved?”</p><p>“You know what I mean.”</p><p>"Yea, I think I do." </p><p>They wrapped up their meal, throwing it in the trash. Right when Emma was about to push open the door, where a large crowd waited for them, her father stopped her.</p><p>“There’s one last thing.”</p><p>“Yea?”</p><p>“When I was about your age, I got a call from Regina’s father. Your mom and I were having a tough time adjusting to her new role as Queen, and I wasn’t too keen about kneeling before my wife in front of the entire world. I was young and full of myself. And you know what Henry said? He said, ‘Yes, she is your wife, but she is also your Queen. And a strong man would be able to kneel to both.’”</p><p>“Til this day, I regret that I almost let my pride come between your mother and I. I don’t want you to make the mistake I almost made.”</p><hr/><p>“The Duchess of Storybrooke.”</p><p>Heavy cape held by attendants, Naval uniform soaked and attached to her skin, Emma approached the dais. The attendant held out his hands for her coronet, bowing slightly. She handed it to him before dropping to one knee.</p><p>“I, Emma, Duchess of Storybrooke, do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship. And faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks.”</p><p>Taking a deep breath Emma took her eyes away from the book. Brown eyes bore straight through her, unflinching.</p><p>“So help me God.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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